Scar
Scar is an adult male lion (voiced by Jeremy Irons and Jim Cummings) who succeeds Mufasa as the king of Pride Rock. Scar has a hand-chosen heir named Kovu, who is the youngest son of Zira. Scar, who formerly was named Taka, had become very upset that his older brother Mufasa was chosen to be the king over himself, a decision which caused the young lion much angst and distanced him from his father Ahadi and brother. Over time, Taka also came to resent Ahadi for favoring Mufasa and for choosing kingly duties over spending time with his sons. One day, Shenzi, Banzai and Ed attacked Rafiki, a traveling baboon, until he was saved by Ahadi with his sons Mufasa and Taka. After the hyenas were driven off, Taka acted bored and he believed they should’ve let the baboon die by eating him. After hearing of Rafiki's wandering of knowledge, Ahadi welcomed him into the Pride Lands and offered him to stay at Pride Rock. While Mufasa stayed by his father's side throughout the ordeal, Taka wandered off, feeling unconcerned with his father's doings. Later that night, Taka set a cobra on Mufasa, hoping to kill his brother in his sleep, but Rafiki thwarted the plan. The day after the attempted murder, Ahadi had promised to take his sons on a hunting, until a group of angry Pride Landers had stalled him and he was forced to cut the hunting trip short due to a change of events which didn't settle well with Taka. Though Mufasa understood their father's decision, Taka reacted with outrage and accused Ahadi of always finding other things to do when they were supposed to spend time together. In answer to his son's protests, Ahadi attempted to explain to him that the pressures of ruling a kingdom, was something Mufasa understood, but Taka's temper only flared and he accused Ahadi of favoring Mufasa. Despite the young lion's animosity, Ahadi has decided to pursue his duties, by leaving Taka and Mufasa to hunt alone. Before the hunt, Taka wanders off to talk to his hyena friends, Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed. They tell him that if Mufasa is made to look like a failure, then Ahadi will have second thoughts and pass the throne to Taka. This leads to Taka tricking his brother into going down to the waterhole, where a selfish buffalo named Boma is refusing to share the water with the rest of the Pridelanders during a horrible drought. While there, Mufasa tries to reason with Boma, but Taka roars and commands Boma to move by order of the king or face Mufasa in combat. An enraged Boma then charges out of the water and begins to chase Mufasa. Mufasa escapes with the aid of Rafiki while Taka only laughs until Boma's herd appears to attack him instead. A large buffalo slashes Taka with his horns,injuring and knocking him unconscious. Mufasa leaps in to save his brother and the buffaloes prepare to attack again. Before they can do so, Ahadi appears with a large herd of animals and surrounds the buffaloes and ends the fight. An unconscious Taka was then taken back to Pride Rock with the help of an elephant. Rafiki cared for him until he was patched up enough to speak. It was during this attack that Taka got a scar on his left eye, something he will carry with him for the rest of his life. Once recovered, Taka only admitted he wanted to embarrass Mufasa and get even with his father for breaking his promise. Ahadi calmly chastised his son and cautioned him to keep his anger at bay. At first Taka was angry, but then at last accepted his father's words. He also asked to be called Scar from now on in a remembrance of his mistake. In his youth, Scar was tasked with leading the Lion Guard, a legendary group of protectors who defended the Circle of Life, and gifted with a powerful roar called the Roar of the Elders. Over time, his power and position led him to believe that he should be king instead of his older brother Mufasa and he tried to stage a coup with the rest of his Lion Guard. When the other members of the Lion Guard refused, Scar destroyed them with the power of the Roar, which cost him its use, for it could only be used for good. In the years that followed the Lion Guard's downfall, Scar continued to vie for his brother's throne and wanted Sarabi's affections however it’s been implied that Sarabi chose Mufasa over him. After the birth of his nephew Simba, Scar made plans to dispose of both Mufasa and Simba. With the help of his hyena minions, Scar staged a wildebeest stampede that endangered Simba's life, and Mufasa was drawn to the scene to rescue his son. Though Simba escaped to safety, Mufasa was heaved from a high cliff by Scar to his death. After Mufasa's fall, Scar convinced Simba that the death was his fault and drove the cub into self-exile, after which he laid claim to the throne of the Pride Lands. As king, Scar allowed the hyenas to poach the land, and the Pride Lands slowly fell into ruin. The desolation of the kingdom eventually drew a full-grown Simba back to Pride Rock, where he challenged Scar for his throne. An epic battle ensued, in which Scar made one last attempt on Simba's life, but he was defeated and thrown from the summit of Pride Rock by Simba. He landed amidst his former henchmen, who swiftly turned on him and ate him alive amidst a fiery blaze at the base of Pride Rock. Personality Scar was willing to murder his own family members and traumatized his own nephew for life by stating he was responsible for his father's death. To add more fuel to the fire, he attempted to kill with Simba twice (as a cub and adult). There's a reason to his name, and it's more than just a scar over his eye. It's because he scarred Simba's life. Unlike the scars that heal in time, the emotional scar on his nephew continued for years and years. Even after death, his impact on Simba still lives on as depicted in his nightmare. He reigns on high as an evil king for a number of years, and intends to let the pride starve to death. For all that is known about Scar is that he's a narcissist (when he sings, he wishes to be "Respected, saluted. And seen for the wonder I am"), filled with bitterness, greed, and jealously. In the end, Scar was a child murderer, and committed evil acts. Scar was intolerant of failure, berating the hyenas for their failure to kill Simba, and angrily throwing them out after they made the mistake of mentioning his brother, Mufasa, of whom Scar was extremely jealous. Nevertheless, Scar was very charismatic, able to rally the hyenas to his cause and inspire fanatical loyalty from Zira and her Pride of lionesses, to the point that they revered him as a god after his death. Scar was also highly intelligent, able to manipulate conversations and situations to his advantage with relative ease. He also proved to be extremely sadistic, convincing Simba that he was responsible for the death of his father and later going on to taunt him that, in fact, he himself was responsible for Mufasa's death. Appearances The Lion King Scar remained bitterly jealous of his elder brother but was allowed to live in the Pride Lands. He did not attend Simba's presentation, much to Mufasa's disappointment. During this time, he also tried to eat a mouse, although he was ultimately forced to let the mouse escape when Zazu told him off for missing Simba's presentation, causing Scar to attempt to exact revenge on Zazu by eating him instead until Mufasa interfered, forcing him to spit Zazu out. Scar also implied when Mufasa warned him not to walk away that he might attack Mufasa should he be distracted, before claiming that he would not dream of challenging his brother. He also briefly lamented that he may be cast out of the gene pool anyways before leaving Pride Rock dejected. As some time passed, Scar rapidly became jealous of his nephew Simba's position as the next king of Pride Rock and started plotting to kill him in order to take out the competition for the throne himself. He started to recruit hyenas, primarily Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed, to build an army. He used bribes of food to get them on his side. The first attempt the hyenas made was to kill Simba after tricking the cub into entering their territory with his best friend, Nala. When Mufasa foiled that plan, Scar saw the whole scene with great unhappiness. Later, Scar admonishes the hyenas for failing to kill Simba, even when it was clear that Simba only survived due to Mufasa's interference. Knowing Simba will always be safe so long as Mufasa is around, Scar proposes they kill both Simba and Mufasa. To motivate and mobilize the hyenas, Scar promises that under his rule, the hyenas will never go hungry again, a promise which he clearly could not (and ultimately failed to) keep. With their help, he engineers a wildebeest stampede meant to kill both Simba and Mufasa, tricking Simba into waiting in a gorge under the notion that Mufasa has a 'marvelous surprise' for him. Scar alerts Mufasa, who rushes to Simba's aid. Mufasa manages to save his son and ends up clinging to a cliff where he spots Scar and pleads with his brother to help him. However, Scar instead pierces Mufasa's paws with his claws and, grinning wickedly, throws his brother off the cliff to his death with the impersonating words, "Long live the king". Scar discovers Simba still alive and places the blame of Mufasa's death on his nephew. He orders Simba to run away and never return as punishment. Scar then sends the hyenas to kill Simba, but they fail this task due to Simba going through a bed of thorns too dense for them to get through. Shenzi felt that allowing the cub to flee into the desert would kill him eventually and they would kill him if he survived and returned. Thus, they let the cub escape, and lie to Scar. Scar then tells the lionesses that Mufasa and Simba died and takes over the Pride Lands, using the hyena clan as muscle to ensure his reign goes undisputed. Due to Scar's irresponsibility as king and abolishing most of Mufasa's laws that regulated the hunting parties, both the Pridelanders and the hyenas begin to run out of food, while a drought that lasted longer than usual deprived them of water. Likewise, he also enacts a law that says everyone may not mention Mufasa in his presence, especially not in a more favorable light. One day, Scar later questions Sarabi as to why she and the rest of the lions are not hunting for food, to which she replies there is nothing left and suggests they leave Pride Rock to survive. He rejects the idea, essentially sentencing everyone to death out of pride. Scar condones to the fact and declares that as king he can do whatever he wants. With Sarabi pushed beyond composure, she openly compares Scar to Mufasa in a condescending manner, angering Scar to the point of violence against his sister-in-law. Just as this occurs, Simba, alive and well, returns and confronts the anxious Scar, who initially mistakes him for Mufasa. However, after learning it is his nephew as an adult, Scar sarcastically expresses "joy" at seeing him alive, and gives a dirty look at the hyenas, knowing they had in fact failed at their task and lied to him regarding Simba's death. Simba orders Scar to resign as king or engage in battle for the throne. Knowing he lacks the physical strength, Scar initiates a trial against Simba, blaming him for Mufasa's death in an attempt to turn the pride against him. Simba, still believing it was he who was responsible for his father's death, admits his "crime," allowing Scar to execute him as punishment. As a lightning bolt strikes beneath Pride Rock and causes a wildfire, Scar quietly admits to Simba that it was the former who was truly responsible for Mufasa's death, enraging the younger lion. Simba furiously tackles Scar and threatens to strangle him unless he confesses to his crime. With no other choice, Scar bitterly reveals the truth to the observing pride. This leads to a ferocious battle in which the lionesses, Timon, Pumbaa, and Rafiki, work together to defeat the hyenas. A coward, Scar tries to escape, but Simba spots him and corners his uncle on the top of Pride Rock. On the edge of panic, Scar tries to explain to Simba that the hyenas were behind Mufasa's death, unaware that Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed had overheard him, resulting in them angrily stepping away, growling in fury, but Simba refuses to believe him, knowing that everything his malevolent uncle ever told him was a lie. When Simba chooses to exile Scar rather than kill him, Scar appears to concede, but then does a sneak attack by brushing the closest embers available into Simba's face. Not wanting to give up the throne, he attacks Simba, and they engage in a fierce fight. Scar soon bashes Simba across the face and knocks him onto his back. However, as the elder lion leaps to deliver the deathblow, Simba uses his hind legs to hurl Scar over the edge, sending him tumbling down a rocky slope to the base of Pride Rock. Scar survives the fall and as he slowly gets to his feet, the hyenas arrive. At first, Scar is relieved to see his "friends", but to his horror, they reveal that they overheard Scar calling them "the enemy," and they begin to surround their fallen master with wide grins, unappreciative of Scar throwing them under the bus. Realizing his mistake too late, Scar begs for mercy and attempts to explain himself, but the hyenas have had enough of his lies, derogatory treatment, and broken promises. Fueled by their hunger and seething rage, the hyenas surround Scar, ignoring his life plea, leap upon him, and brutally maul him to death as flames surround them, likely devouring Scar's carcass by the end of it. With Scar dead, Simba ascends Pride Rock and reclaims the Pride Lands as the new king. The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride Despite his ultimate demise, Scar maintained the loyalty of the Outsiders, a pride of lionesses led by a lioness named Zira, who were banished to the Outlands by Simba. Zira was fanatically loyal to Scar and intended to install her son Kovu as King of Pride Rock, as he was chosen by Scar personally to be his heir and successor. They would continue to create trouble for Simba in the following years. Scar also appeared in Simba's dream. Mufasa clings to the high cliff above the stampede and an adult Simba tries to save his father. However, Scar grabs Simba's paw, stopping from reaching him. As Mufasa falls off the cliff into the stampede, Scar morphs into Kovu and throws Simba into the stampede too. In addition, Scar was also mentioned by Simba when he explains to Kovu the true history of the fight between Scar and him. He also implies during this time that, in addition to the hyenas exacting revenge on Scar, Scar also ended up burned alive by the wildfire. Scar makes another brief appearance when Kovu is exiled from the Pride Lands by Simba, he stops by a lake where he sees Scar's reflection instead of his own as Mufasa did to Simba. In the end, Scar's dying wish would be fulfilled (Kovu becoming the king of the Pride Lands) since Simba would choose Kovu to become the king consort of his daughter Kiara, Scar's great-niece. However, unlike Scar's plan, Kovu would rule under the concept of the Circle of Life. The Lion King 3 In this film, Scar makes a few brief, non-speaking appearances in the scenes for which he was present in the original film. Scar's song "Be Prepared" is heard briefly as Timon and Pumbaa tour Scar's lair as a possible new home, commenting on how it is quiet, secluded, and with no uninvited visitors. The shadows of the goose-stepping hyena army are then seen marching in front of them, though they haven't started singing yet. Scar is later mentioned by Nala when she tells Timon and Pumbaa that Simba needs their help. He is shown making Simba fall over Pride Rock's peak and later fleeing from Simba after admitting that he murdered Mufasa. As Scar flees, the hyenas try to protect him. Just as Timon and Pumbaa as well as Timon's mother and uncle defeat the hyenas, Simba kicks Scar over the side of Pride Rock's summit, where he meets the hyenas at the base of Pride Rock. The Lion Guard In The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar, Simba's second born cub—and Scar's great-nephew—Kion is told that Scar was once the leader of the Lion Guard, until it met a disastrous end when the power went to his head. As such, Kion makes a great effort to refrain from misusing his gift and becoming the dark figure his great-uncle had been. In "The Rise of Scar", a hyena named Janja tires of living under the harsh conditions of the Outlands, but refuses to accept the fact that he and the other hyenas only reside there because they selfishly refuse to adhere to the laws set by the Circle of Life. Instead, they want to eliminate Kion, but each of their attempts have failed. A snake named Ushari claims that the secret to Kion's success is his ability to talk to the Great Kings of the Past, more specifically Mufasa. This gives them the idea to find a way to summon the only lion that's ever sided with the hyenas: Scar. Under Scar's authority, they hope to eliminate Kion and create a new order amongst the Pride Lands that gives them the freedom to devour as much as they want. By using both the combined powers of Kion's roar and Makini's magical bakora staff, Janja and Ushari successfully manage to summon Scar's spirit, manifested in lava and fire. Revived and reinvigorated, Scar sees this as an opportunity to exact revenge against Simba and overthrow him as king. As revealed in "Let Sleeping Crocs Lie", Scar plots to gather all the animals in the Outlands to create a new legion of followers. With an army of henchmen at his disposal once more, Scar seeks to ignite a hostile takeover of the Pride Lands and reclaim the kingdom as his own domain. In "The Scorpion's Sting", Scar sends a scorpion named Sumu to poison Simba. Knowing that volcanic ash is needed to remedy the fatal sting, Scar sends his crocodile, jackal, and hyena minions to slow the Lion Guard, accompanied by Makini, down. It is then that they overpower these foes and secure the ash that he finally makes himself known to his great-nephew and his friends. After his father's life is saved, Kion vows to defeat his great-uncle once and for all. In "The Fall of Mizimu Grove", the Outlanders ambush on Mizimu Grove, attacking the Pride Landers in which the battle against them pauses when Scar appears in front of them as he plans to take over the Pride Lands, frightening away the Pride Landers. He also crosses Simba for the first time since his death. However, after Kion tells the Pride Landers to remain in Pride Rock and Makini's baobab tree survived the fire, it inspires them to stay in the kingdom and work with each other as a plan to defeat Scar. The Lion King (2019) Scar appears in the 2019 film. Notable differences in this film include a storyline involving a fight between Scar and Mufasa for Sarabi's affections before the events of the film, though Mufasa won and Sarabi herself chose Mufasa. This seemed to be how Scar got his signature scar above his left eye. After Scar takes the throne, he personally leads the hyenas to hunt instead of the lionesses so he can show the dominance over the kingdom, resulting with Pride Land becoming a wasteland years later. He offers Sarabi to become his queen, but she refuses. To corner her, Scar enforces the rule that the lionesses can only eat the scraps from hyenas' foods until she agree to become his queen. Also, when telling the pride about Mufasa's death, Scar claimed that he didn't make it to the gorge in time; this lie was called out during the film's climax, where the pride overhears Scar taunting a returning Simba about how Mufasa had the same look of fear before he died. He is also depicted as being more defiant, greedier, and confident in a far sinister manner in the remake, as when cornered by Simba in the climax after his admission to his role in Mufasa's death, he angrily and petulantly declares to his nephew that Scar alone had the birthright to kingship. He's also slightly less cowardly, as when the hyenas surrounds him after hearing his attempt to pin the whole blame on them, Scar tries to fight back until he is outnumbered and eaten alive. Category:Villains Category:Lions Category:Big Cats Category:Animals Category:Murderers Category:Singing villains Category:Main antagonists Category:Lion King villains Category:Deceased villains